Work to commence on £100m M5 viaduct repairs

A three-way joint venture between Bam, Morgan Sindall and VolkerFitzpatrick has secured the £100m-plus project to refurbish the Oldbury viaduct on the M5 in the Midlands.

The elevated section of the motorway between junctions one and two is one of the busiest routes in the country and is in need of repair.

The main works for this two-year project began in April and will see repairs to a 3.5 km stretch of the motorway.

The work will be undertaken in three phases to allow for continued two way traffic flow of this strategic route. Initial work will include the removal of the road surface on the southbound carriageway of the motorway in order to investigate the condition of the concrete deck underneath.

Once the investigation is completed, any damaged concrete will be repaired and a new waterproofing layer added prior to resurfacing of the road. This process will then be repeated on the northbound carriageway, before the remaining central section is completed.

Matt Atkinson, project director for the Bam, Morgan Sindall and VolkerFitzpatrick joint venture, said: "Our joint venture consists of companies with a proven history of successfully delivering similar, logistically complex projects. We are looking forward to deploying these skills to safeguard this key transport link into the future.”

Highways England delivery manager, Colin Jackson, said: “At a cost in excess of £100m, Highways England is delivering a huge investment that will support economic growth locally and in the wider West Midlands.”